I mean look at how cute that back is! In fact, when I first saw the pattern all I could think was "how did I not notice this pattern before?" And so after purchasing the bundle this dress quickly jumped to the front of the to-be-sewn pile - especially after I found that I had just enough fabric left over from this coat to make the dress. It's like it was meant to be.

Based on O's measurements I ended up cutting out a size 2/3 for the width but a size 4/5 for the length because I was concerned about the smaller size being too short on her. The fit ended up being perfect, but given that this dress has no closure and just slips over your child's head, I have to confess that it takes a bit of wiggling to get it on. Fortunately, it's well worth it once it's on.

The pattern itself went together fairly easily although there was a bit of head-scratching when it came to sewing the shoulder part together. In the end I gave up (I'm going to blame it on 12 months of sleep deprivation and utter laziness) and I just closed the seams with some top-stitching which worked perfectly. There's also quite a bit of hemming involved given that you have three little flounces to hem and the lining of the skirt. But again, it's totally worth it (have I said that enough times, yet?)

Once the dress was finished O was ridiculously excited to try it on and then refused to take it off for the entire day. And, as you can tell, she also rocked it on our trip to Hawaii.

I remain madly in love with the twisted detail and open cut-out in the back. So much so that I kind of want to plead with Figgy's to size this up to women's sizes. Is that weird to lust after your children's clothes?

I love the dots! I have a guess about where you might've gotten stuck on the shoulder bit. It's not hard to sew, but it's hard to describe. I posted photos of that step here, and in the next few photos after that, hope it helps if you want to make this dress again: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hemoglobinhummingbird/7523763288/in/set-72157630470439266/

Hello!

I’m Carolyn – a thirty-something gal who tries her best to make stuff while chasing after two kids. There are some definite bumps along the road - followed by much cussing. Is it bad when your child says sh*t?.